title: Messenger RNA levels of podocyte-associated proteins in subjects with different degrees of glucose tolerance with or without nephropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate gene expression of podocyte-specific proteins in urine of diabetes and prediabetes subjects and the association of these proteins with albuminuria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen controls, 19 prediabetes, and 67 diabetes subjects were included. Messenger RNA of nephrin, podocin, podocalyxin, synaptopodin, TRPC6, alpha-actinin-4, and TGF-β1 were measured using RT-PCR. Podocyte marker expression was correlated with albuminuria, glycemic control, and renal function. The diagnostic performance of the genes used to detect increased albuminuria was assessed using ROC curves and Poisson regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Podocyte marker expression was significantly higher in diabetic subjects. Urinary nephrin was correlated with increasing levels of albuminuria; risk of albuminuria increased by 20% for every one-unit increase in the log10 of nephrin mRNA. Nephrinuria was found in 53%, 71%, and 90% of normo-, micro-, and macroalbuminuric diabetes subjects, respectively (p = 0.023). Urinary nephrin, podocalyxin, TRPC6, podocin, and alpha actinin-4 were correlated with glycemic control and albuminuria but not with renal function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes subjects had higher urinary mRNA levels of podocyte proteins than nondiabetic subjects, even the normoalbuminuric patients. Nephrinuria was correlated with diabetic nephrophathy stage and predicted pathological albuminuria. Urinary mRNA levels of podocyte markers of prediabetic subjects did not differ from controls.
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. fjvveronese@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jonathan Fraportti
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Luis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Canani
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerchman
authors.forename: Patricia G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joelsons
authors.forename: Mariane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Sane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Francisco V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Veronese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050199:Podocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000378:metabolism*; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D020543:Proteome; D012333:RNA, Messenger